come and pass the day in happiness
by champion lyra
Summary: "But I'd like to help you out, even just a little bit. Cook you a good meal for once. Let you take a shower and clean your stuff. You know?" He didn't, really, but nodded anyways. —YutoYuzu, BraceletShipping.


**Notes**

This has some canon divergence - just pretend that, for whatever reason, there's a lot more time (a few months, probably) in between episode 24 and Yuto's "death", and in that time they become friends! And also pretend that the first 24 episodes were more spread out over the days, too.

Anyways, hope y'all enjoy. Please consider also writing BraceletShipping fic, lmao.

* * *

"Where have you been staying?"

Yuto froze at the question, eyes quickly moving from Yuzu's to his feet. It wasn't that he was embarrassed by the fact that he was homeless - living in Heartland after the attack had been much worse, by comparison - but he knew the girl in front of him would never let it go if he told her.

Over the past few weeks, they had finally become something akin to normal friends; talking often and doing things together. It was still hard for Yuto to open up properly, but Yuzu had the patience of a saint and worked him through it, which he was thankful for.

"Around," he finally settled on, still refusing to make eye contact. He wasn't sure where the question had come from, honestly - it had been weeks since they'd known each other, and it had been so out of the blue, too. One moment they had been discussing dueling strategies, whether keeping cards in to solely deal with certain strategies was worth it or not, and the next… this.

He could tell Yuzu was frowning at him even without looking. "And where's _around_, Yuto?"

Letting out a sigh, he knew there was no getting out of this one. If he didn't tell her now and ran off, that would be an answer all by itself; and the next time they saw each other would be a lot less pleasant. "Wherever I can. The warehouse, mostly."

The warehouses by the docs had been a phenomenal find, honestly. Ninety percent of the time, there was no one he didn't know around, and the times where there were actual workers, they didn't stay for long and they were easy to hide from. It had a roof, so it was out of the way of the elements, and out of the way of the hub of Maiami City. For Yuto's purposes, it was perfect, and certainly nicer than the war-torn bases back in Heartland.

Yuzu, however, very obviously disagreed. "Why didn't you tell me?" She didn't sound disappointed, which was a relief, but more so just… sad. With her eyebrows furrowed and her blue eyes looking at him like that, Yuto found it hard to look away.

He shrugged, not really knowing how to answer her. "It never came up," he said after a moment, finally finding it in him to move his gaze to somewhere else. Somewhere that _wasn't _Yuzu. "It's not a big deal," he continued, "it's better than what I'm used to."

Her frown deepened. "Well, we do have a spare bedroom -"

"Out of the question," he stopped her before she could even finish that thought. There was no way he was living with Yuzu, someone who he -

He was not finishing _that _thought, either. Besides that, he didn't know Yuzu's family situation, really, and having to explain who he was to her family and _why _he looked exactly like her childhood best friend would be way, way too much for him.

Yuzu was silent for a few minutes, and Yuto let himself foolishly believe that she would drop the subject from there. But of course, she was just as stubborn as he was, and she found his gaze again with slanted brows.

"What have you been eating, then? Doing for laundry?" She fired off, moving in closer to him with each question. Yuto didn't want to admit he felt even just slightly intimidated, forcing himself to swallow. "You've been in this dimension for, what, two months now? These are basic needs, Yuto!"

He knew her words were all from a place of concern, but he couldn't help the awkward feeling bubbling up in his gut as she fretted over him. "I've been fine," he told her curtly, once again thinking back to what Heartland had been like after the attack. "Seriously."

No war, no fear of stepping outside only to get taken out or to find out another comrade had been lost… this dimension was like a vacation to him, comparatively.

More silence from Yuzu, and Yuto finally let himself breathe again. He wasn't stupid enough to hope that she was finally dropping it, but he did hope she cooled down a bit. He rarely saw the girl so worked up, and it was doing weird things to his chest and stomach to hear her worry over him like that.

"Would you at least let me get you some supplies? Or do some laundry at my house?" She asked, honestly and earnestly. It was a look he saw on her often, and one that he found his heart beat a little faster for.

"...fine," he agreed, feeling the tips of his ears turn pink, "but I have some money. I don't mind-"

"Don't worry about it," Yuzu said, shaking her head, making her pink pigtails hit her cheeks. Yuto found it hard not to stare. "I have plenty of allowance money, and the only thing I ever really use it on is cards", she laughed a bit. "So really, it's no trouble."

Accepting charity was not something Yuto ever wanted to do, but he found it didn't really feel like that when it was Yuzu. He still felt uncomfortable, allowing her to get him anything with money she earned - and it wasn't like he didn't have any, either, underground duels paid fairly well all things considered - but he knew he'd been beat.

He shook his head, sighing a little. "I don't like this," he told her honestly, "but I know you're going to insist anyways."

She beamed at him. "You got it! When do you want to go?"

Thinking about it for a moment, he considered telling her 'never'. It felt like he was taking advantage of one of the only people he considered a friend on this different dimension, despite her obvious insistence and enthusiasm for helping him out. "Sunday," he decided on after a moment. "I'll meet you here."

"Okay," Yuzu agreed easily, though when she met his eyes, Yuto was surprised by the expression on her face. "Thank you for letting me help you," she said, probably the most genuine he'd ever heard her. "I know it's not easy."

Blinking, Yuto almost wanted to look away, but found he couldn't, even with how hot his face was starting to feel. "It's fine," he mumbled out, finally forcing himself to look somewhere - anywhere - other than her face.

This was going to be a long few days, he realized.

* * *

Sunday morning came and went, with Yuto sitting idly by at the warehouse. He and Yuzu hadn't specified a time to meet, but the anxiety had been gnawing on him since he woke up that morning. Being so nervous was foreign to him, especially after he'd hardened himself after the attacks on Heartland, but he found his breathing unsteady and his heart pounding in his chest at every little noise, thinking it was Yuzu.

By the time she did arrive, he was a mess; though she would never know it.

"Hey, Yuto! I hope I didn't keep you waiting too long," she greeted him with a smile. It was nice to see how comfortable she'd become around him, over the last few months - when they first met, she didn't really know what to make of him at all. Nowadays, he was treated like he'd seen her treat the Fusion spy, or even his lookalike. It was a good feeling.

He shook his head. "It's fine."

"I wasn't sure what exactly you'd need," she said, looking sheepish, "so I don't really have a good plan for today. If you tell me, though, I can figure it out from there!"

That wasn't what he had been expecting. From her dueling, she always seemed to have at least some form of a plan, not really relying on leaving things to chance. It was almost funny, to him, how she seemed so much more reckless and driven by her emotions in everyday life then she was in dueling.

He thought for a moment though, considering. He didn't have much to his name - just some clothes, and his deck and duel disk. Food was the hardest thing to come by, and he was sick of stealing. Even just having a stash of energy bars, or non-perishables, would be better than nothing.

"Groceries," Yuto said, looking down. He still felt awkward about this whole thing. What little money he did have generally went towards a good meal, or occasionally information, but he could've saved up he supposed. It was really his own fault that he didn't have much, despite it being months since he'd arrived there.

He just knew Yuzu wouldn't see it that way.

"Okay! We'll start there, and then we can do some laundry at my house, okay?" Her voice was light and airy, but he could tell how serious she was taking this. She wasn't stupid - the amount of trust he was showing her today obviously meant a lot to her, and Yuto took solace in that fact.

Nodding, he hopped up off the crates that he had been leaning on, following her like a puppy despite knowing the way.

* * *

Much to his chagrin, Yuzu insisted on pushing a grocery cart around. Yuto really didn't think he'd be getting that much stuff - besides the obvious of not spending too much of her money, he also didn't exactly know where he'd keep it. However, when he brought that up, she waved him off, saying that he could always store stuff at her house.

Yuto wasn't sure how serious she was being, and he wasn't sure he wanted to find out.

They had started with some obvious basics: canned goods, a jug of water, things like that. It was when they started heading towards the produce aisle that Yuto began to get nervous.

"Hey," he began, walking stiffly after her through the store. "I think this is good enough, Yuzu."

She didn't even flinch. "We're getting you some fruits and vegetables, too." Her voice left no room for argument.

"Where will I keep them?" This was ridiculous. He appreciated the gesture - sort of - but this was too much. He was living in a warehouse, of all things. He didn't have a fridge, or a cutting board, or a kitchen to begin with. A small fire was about the most he could manage, which was good enough for him.

Finally, Yuzu stopped walking. It was sudden, and if Yuto almost bumped into her, nobody had to know.

"Yuto," she said, turning to face him, "you can eat at my house sometimes. It's okay. You'll have to go there sometimes to do laundry, anyways, right?"

Gritting his teeth, he shook his head, refusing to look her in the eye. "Look," he tried, "I appreciate how much you care. But," trailing off, he wasn't sure where to go from there. Tell her he didn't know how long he would stay in Standard? Tell her that he didn't want to be a charity case? None of his options sounded good in his head, and Yuto sighed, frustrated.

They were quiet for a few minutes, only the sounds of other shoppers filling their ears. Yuto refused to look at her, still, but Yuzu stood patiently, waiting for him to get his bearings. When she thought he was finally ready, she put a hand over his own, gentle but kind.

"I know, Yuto," she said softly, and he finally looked up to face her, only to see a small smile on her lips. "I know this is hard for you. I know you probably won't stay here forever, much as I want you to." She paused, laughing a little at herself. "But I'd like to help you out, even just a little bit. Cook you a good meal for once. Let you take a shower and clean your stuff. You know?" He didn't, really, but nodded anyways. "So will you let me?"

When she put it like that, saying those things with _that_ voice…

Yuto nodded, willing the blush away from his cheeks to no avail. "Fine," he said, pulling his hand back to his side. Immediately, though, he found he missed the warmth of hers. "We'll get whatever, then."

"Thank you." Yuzu smiled warmly at him, and the redness in his cheeks grew hotter. "Let's get some vegetables, then!"

_Stupid_, Yuto couldn't help but think to himself as he walked after her, face beet red. _I'm so hopeless_.

* * *

The rest of the grocery shopping trip went rather smoothly, in Yuto's opinion. No further awkward outbursts from him, and if he were to be honest with himself, Yuzu _was_ rather fun to be around. It was hard for him to ignore the way he couldn't keep his eyes off of her when they were alone like this.

It almost felt like-

_No, _he stopped himself, physically shaking his head as they headed out of the store, bags in hand. He wouldn't go there, not even in his own mind. It wasn't right.

"Do you want to stash this at the warehouse before doing laundry?" Yuzu asked once they'd gotten outside, blue eyes blinking at him curiously. "Either way is fine by me."

The idea of going to her house, being in her house alone… Yeah, it was probably a good idea to take some time before that. Yuto felt like he was going to spontaneously combust. "Yeah, that's fine."

She nodded, and once again he fell into step behind her easily. It was odd, really, how quickly they'd fallen into a natural swing of things together. Once upon a time, he'd been dead set on not interacting with her unless absolutely necessary; keeping tabs on her to make sure nothing horrible befell her. Now, he could say that they were friends - someone that he looked forward to talking to and enjoyed the company of. It was the one and only connection he'd made since the attack on Heartland, and he wondered what that said about him as a person.

What that said about _Yuzu _as a person.

They walked in silence for the most part, Yuzu occasionally humming a tune in front of him that he didn't know. It was comfortable. Mundane.

It was something Yuto thought he'd never get to experience again, and it made him feel horribly guilty. Shun was still out there looking for clues while he took a day off to… do what? Go shopping? Eat food? It felt wrong, knowing Ruri was still out there somewhere, probably hurting all alone, while he…

While he _enjoyed_ himself. It felt wrong to accept this kind of charity from Yuzu, who had paid for all the food they'd picked out not just without complaint, but with a smile on her face. It was…

He stopped walking, and Yuzu was on him almost instantly.

"Yuto? You okay?" Her voice was soft - gentle, and he suddenly wanted to scream. Bringing up her free hand, Yuzu hovered over his arm, unsure what to do with it. "I'm sorry," she apologized, and Yuto's eyes snapped to hers. "I've been pretty insensitive, haven't I?"

_Great_, he thought to himself. Now he'd done it. The last thing he'd wanted to do was to make her feel bad about this - it was his guilt to bear, not anyone else's. "No, that's not-"

He didn't finish his sentence, and Yuzu didn't say anything, either. They stood there, uncomfortably close to each other, the bags in Yuto's hands feeling like they weighed a thousand pounds the longer the silence stretched on.

"I won't pretend to know how hard it must be," Yuzu finally started, softly placing her hand on the side of his shoulder. "But you do need to take care of yourself, too. How else do you plan to save Ruri? To help Shun?"

Both of them sat on that thought for a few minutes, before Yuto decided to try saying something again. It was true - to an extent - that if he ran himself into the ground, he would be useless. But he'd lived for so long now fighting just to stay alive; that he wasn't really sure _how _to take a day like this without feeling terribly guilty or selfish.

"I know you're right," he breathed out, closing his eyes. "I wish it were that easy."

Yuzu removed her hand, backing up and giving him space again. Almost immediately, Yuto found he missed how close she had been to him, and had to think about keeping his hand at his side.

"We're almost done, okay?" She said, trying to bring a bit of cheer to her voice. "Let's drop this stuff off, and then I'll make you something and give it to you to go. Like takeout!"

Hearing that, though, just made Yuto feel worse. She was trying to do something nice for him - something, in the back of his mind, he knew he needed - and here he was, making her feel bad about it. Scowling, he desperately wished he had put his mask on that day. He hated feeling so exposed.

"If you're going through the trouble of cooking it, I'll eat at your house," he told her firmly. Even if he felt bad about it, there was no use in feeling bad about _both_.

Yuzu seemed to think about it for a moment, before nodding, and Yuto watched as her pink pigtails moved, before forcibly relocating his eyes to her shoes. "Thank you!"

He wasn't sure why she was thanking _him_, but he didn't say anything, just gestured for her to continue walking. He supposed it wouldn't be too bad to have one good day, even with everything going on. Thinking about how Shun used to be, how Ruri was… he knew, deep down, they wouldn't be upset with him - in fact, they'd probably be glad, that despite everything, he was still able to smile.

_Besides_, he thought to himself, it had been forever since he'd had a good meal. He tended to save up his money and only buy crappy fast food so he didn't have to stay in one place for long, and always had some extra funds on him. It would be nice, he had to admit, to sit somewhere that looked like a _home_ and actually eat in the company of another person again.

And if that thought had tears pricking the corners of his eyes, nobody had to know. Except maybe Yuzu, who probably knew exactly how he was feeling when she turned around and smiled, bright as the sun.


End file.
